May, 2022
Lots of rain was predicted for the time that I would be camping here at Friends Landing. I knew that and expected that. And so, I was surprised and so happy to wake up this first morning after my arrival here yesterday to find this view out my back/dinette window … blue sky, wow!
With this gorgeous weather, what could I do but snap to it, get my shoes on, and head out for a walk around the lake? 🙂
In the photo above, the very tiny white dot on the right is my trailer. Also, you can see some dark grey clouds coming in … better get walking!
This Common Loon was paddling around out on the lake. As I was walking up one side of the lake, it was swimming over on the opposite side. It’s a “breeding adult”. I believe females and males look alike.
The path around the lake is “accessible”, purposefully built that way, “accessible” for people who may use a variety of mobility methods for physcial access. A park or a building or a path or other physical structure is “accessible” when it provides physical access to people who might use canes, or walkers, or a wheelchair, or simply can’t climb stairs or open a door by themselves or navigate a ramp easily. Even if they can walk just fine, but they can’t open a door because they have such severe arthritis in their hands, or they don’t have hands. It’s about physical access. Are the places you go “accessible”? Can we help change that if they aren’t?
After working at a “library for the blind” for 11 years, I may be a bit more focused on access than most people are, but I’d be happy to be wrong about that. I’d be happy to know that everyone is making this world better for everyone here.
Ah, let’s get back to this walk around the lake and get back to the woods! I don’t know of another large walkway in a relatively wild area like this one at Friends Landing that is 100% accessible. And it’s beautiful here, it feels so rich with life, the sounds of the birds and the tiny sounds of the movement of the water and just the breeze rustling through the trees is divine, and the smells are wonderful. When I go to places like this, away from city noises and smells, I often stop and close my eyes and stand still for a spell, and let the sounds and the smells have the right-of-way.
The photo above is of a flower bud for Skunk Cabbage. When they bloom, they are lovely.
The two photos below are of a fern, I think, (and some grass), but I can’t find any photo online that looks like these ferns. Do any of you readers know what this plant is?
And then a bit further along the trail, this different type of fern appeared (below). What is it?
Every once in a while, I had to remind myself to look up occasionally, not just look down at the hundreds of fascinating plants on the ground along the edge of the path, but also to look up at the trees and the sky and the path before me. I’m now on the far side of the lake from the campground. The photo below shows that I’m still in sunshine, but the dark clouds are coming closer.
And then through the trees, I spotted my friend the Common Loon again, still out there paddling around. But this time she/he was on the far side of the lake, where I had been an hour ago. I wish this bird would stay put on one side or the other so I could snap a closeup photo. Handsome bird.
A bit further along the path, I noticed this spiked bud, also Skunk Cabbage. The large pale yellow bud (in the photo up above and in the photo below) opens up and becomes a beautiful bright yellow flower with this spiked seed cone in the center of it. The “stink” of Skunk Cabbage is what attracts flies and beetles and other bugs to crawl around on that spike and pollinate it. The plant does have a definite “odor” to it when it’s blooming, but it’s also very attractive visually. I hope I’ll find one in full bloom so I can show it to you.
I’m getting close to the end of the lake now, close to the campground. The dark clouds are closing in too. But the enchanting grove of Aspen trees below gave me pause.
Then the breeze picked up, a cold breeze, and I knew those clouds were close and rain was imminent. I hurried along to finish my circuit around the lake and get back to my trailer. I was back inside the trailer for less than 10 minutes when that black cloud arrived … and it poured rain! A toasty warm and dry trailer is heaven.
What a great place to camp! I would LOVE to walk around that lake. I have no idea what type of fern it is, but it’s pretty! My favorite image was the one when you were far away from your camper, and the clouds were reflected in the lake…dark clouds coming in. You were lucky you got inside before the rain. I’d dilly dally so much I’d be as far away from the camper as I could be when that rain hit!
I sort of worried about those dark rain clouds, Dawn, but it was so amazing to be out in sunshine and in such a beautiful environment that I just didn’t care if I didn’t get back to the camper in time. I’d dry out. And I didn’t know if this was my only day here without rain, so I took my time. Silly rain anyway! 🙂
Almost all ferns start out with a fiddlehead, the coiled head, and that seems to be what the fern in those first two photos is doing. But what variety of fern it is, I do not know. I don’t know what the next fern is either, maybe something local to the Pacific Northwest? I hope someone here can tell us. That closeup photo of the fiddlehead is stunning!
I’m thinking of enlarging that photo and matting and framing it, I love it too Ruby.
I remember one of my first backcountry hikes that I went to sleep at night, then woke up the next morning to find I had been sleeping next to a patch of “blooming” skunk cabbage, oh my word that stank! I was with a bunch of guys who were experienced hikers and just let me sleep there. They remain good friends but you can bet I got them back over the years.
Great photos.
Oh, that’s terrible! But what are friends for eh? Glad you got them back. 🙂 Some memories get better with age, I think this one might be one of those.
Nice loon. Great pink flower. Great fiddlehead. But my favorites are #3, #5, and #8. Gorgeous.
#8 is the log in the water. I love that one! You have good taste, Marge. 🙂
So pretty. Love that photo across the lake of the dark trees/land, your trailer off to the right, and such a gorgeous sky reflected in the lake.
Cindy, both you and Dawn like that photo. Since the two of you mentioned it, I looked again. The sky reflected in the lake is stunning, it’s glorious, and I didn’t notice that before. I just kept looking at my little trailer there off to the side. Thanks to each of you for making me look again. 🙂
Like always, great pictures!
I think the first photo is of a braken fern, the ones we used to use as spears when we were kids. They are supposed to be an antidote for stinging nettles. (I’ve never tried it, but I’ve heard it said all my life.)
I’m guessing that the second one is a sword fern, the kind that grows under the trees all around here, and makes our forests so beautiful. Kind of hard to tell, but the way the blades are attached the length of the stalk makes me think it probably is.
What is the pink flower? The leaves look like a salmon berry. Sure is a beautiful picture.
And I love the the last picture of the path. “The road goes ever on and on…”
Yes! Fritzi, you’ll see Susan’s comment below … both of you say bracken and sword ferns. How did I not know that since I’ve been raised with them? Ah well, kind of like the photo where I didn’t even notice the sky reflected in the lake, I guess.
And YES, it’s a Salmon Berry flower. With “salmon berry flower” typed into Google photos on my computer, up popped many photos almost exactly like mine. Perfect.
Hmm, very nice reference to Bilbo Baggins’ “the road”. That was nice, thank you.
I don’t know of any place here in England as beautiful as where you are. The plants, the birds, the sky, water. Your photos must certainly reflect what your eye sees, what your heart sees, so it’s possible that someone could see the same here. But for me, your photos are so delightful and wonderful and your descriptions are as well. Thank you.
What a marvelously wonderful comment, Henry. I do try to see with my heart, and yet everyone sees different things. One of these days, I need to go back through my photos of northern England and Scotland from a trip a few years ago. Oh my what gloriously beautiful country. Thanks for being here, Henry, and for commenting. Very much appreciated.
“Snap to it!” I haven’t heard that in years. 🙂 Great blog, lovely photos. Thank you.
My momma used to say that … and when she said that, both my brother and I snapped to it!! 🙂 Thanks, Kinny.
I’m catching up on reading the posts here. The photos are exquisite! On this one post alone ……. the lake, the sky, the floating wood, the flower, the skunk cabbage, the ferns, the aspen, and the signs with info. I read a few other RV travel blogs but none as good as this one.
Thanks, Paul, I’m grinning ear to ear. 🙂
I think that first fern is bracken fern and the second is definitely sword fern, both as Fritzi said. That photo of the fiddlehead of the bracken fern is dynamite! The aspen photo is too. I also like that log on the water. Really nice photos.
Susan, you and Fritzi were spot on about the ferns. I love my readers! That photo of the aspens is another one I might enlarge. This walk around this lake was magnificent. I’m glad I took my time and didn’t hurry … who cares about a little rain??
Seems like a perfect campground. We still haven’t made it down there yet, but we will!
Jim
Get yourselves down here. I’ve sent you my email address … so just let me know when you’re coming and I’ll meet you out there. Let’s be friends at Friends Landing. 🙂 Any time, Jim, that would be cool.
Beautiful pictures Ann, I feel like I’m there! Keep on traipsing around the country! 💕
I will, Melly, I will keep on traipsing! Hmm, kind of like traip and sing, ha funny. Life is good. Best to you and yours. ❤️❤️